


Book 1: Between the Idea and the Reality

by LJF



Series: Between the Emotion and the Response [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (But they probably won't get it), Abuse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Azula (Avatar) Needs Therapy, Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Because any Azula-centric fic is going to involve abuse, Behind the Scenes, Canon Compliant, Character Motivations, Childhood Trauma, Fire sibs, For Want of a Nail, Gen, Hatred, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Leaving Home, Lots of Angst, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Psychological Trauma, Trauma, Until it isn't, Zuko (Avatar) Needs Therapy, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, all the bad things, but it's pretty dark, lots of trauma, other tags not used because spoilers, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26137150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJF/pseuds/LJF
Summary: AzulahatesCapital City. Zuko is a fool to be so desperate to return.He's a fool, but his foolishness gives her the opening she's been looking for: a chance to getoutof this horrible place, however temporarily.Things don't go exactly as expected, but she doesn't really mind. The longer this ridiculous mission takes, the more time she has away from thathorribleplace. She doesn't have forever, though-- Azula has a secret, and sooner or later it'll come to light. And when it does, she'll loseeverything.
Relationships: Azula & Lu Ten, Azula & Mai & Ty Lee, Azula & Mai (Avatar), Azula & Ozai (Avatar), Azula & Ty Lee (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar)
Series: Between the Emotion and the Response [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905226
Comments: 55
Kudos: 162





	1. This is the Way the World Ends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Caelum_Blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caelum_Blue/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula has _plans_. Plans which do _not_ involve capturing her relatives _quite_ this early.
> 
> ....Too bad her dim-witted brother wouldn't know how to make a _strategic retreat_ if his life was on the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to write something Azula and/or Zuko-centric fic for _at least_ a year, but I could never come up with a decent _plot_. And then this one bashed me over the head going "Okay, but what _if_........"  
> And I was hooked.

_No._ This is wrong. This can't be happening. She's planned out everything _perfectly_ , and _this_ was _not_ in the plans. This could ruin _everything_.

There's a knock at her door. She knows what it is: something she _had_ planned for.

"Princess," a voice says, "The Fire Lord has summoned you."

 _Yes, I know_ , she thinks, but doesn't say. Instead, she plasters on.... not a smile, not yet. She's not supposed to know _why_ she's being summoned, and it could be for rebuke just as easily as reward. So she keeps her face perfectly calm and composed. It's a face that says _I am honored to accept his summons (no matter the consequences)_. If there's one thing she's learnt in this palace, it's how to maintain perfect control of her outward expression.

Even if inside, she's breaking apart.

 _This_ will _ruin everything. Father can_ never _know._

* * *

She bows before the throne as her father tells her what she already knows, that her uncle is a traitor ( _to who, exactly?_ ) and her brother is a failure ( _he's failed at everything, yet he still has what I've always wanted_ ). He tells her he has an important mission for her.

 _Now_ she smiles.

_I've worked far too hard and far too long to give up this chance now. This changes nothing._

Azula always lies. Even ( _especially_ ) to herself.

* * *

"I'm sorry, captain, but I do not know much about the tides," she claims, when told that they won't make it to port until nightfall. She's lying, of course. She's had _infinite_ time to scour the palace library, reading about absolutely _everything_ , particularly methods of transportation. She knows exactly how the tides work, just like she knows they _could_ reach the port before nightfall, it'll just take a little more work than usual.

But she needs these soldiers to be nervous. Nervous and fearful, and that much more likely to make mistakes.

Azula's studied everything, _especially_ people.

* * *

Later, when she practices her katas, she makes a _slight_ misstep. _One hair out of place._

"Almost isn't good enough!"

She did this _perfectly_ last week. If she's already messing up, even a little bit, so early on, she's already doomed.

_Again!_

This time, her aim is true. _Still not enough._

* * *

When she sees her brother for the first time in three years, there's a part of her that wants to cry. To fall on her knees and beg.

_Help me, Zuzu._

This is her older brother, who once would have fought the world to protect her. If she confesses the truth, she knows he'll do anything to help.

But she's stronger than that. She can't, _won't_ show weakness now.

She knows exactly what she needs to say to continue her mission. She just has to tell him what he _wants_ to hear. No matter how ridiculous.

"Father's changed his mind." _Have you_ ever _known him to change his mind_ before _?_ "Family is suddenly very important to him." _Ha! As if!_ "He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him; treacherous plots." _There are_ always _plots. That's what happens when you're the ruler of a country._ "Family are the only ones you can really trust." _How on earth are you buying this?_ "Father regrets your banishment." _I'll eat my hairpiece if that's really true._ "He wants you home." _In chains._

He doesn't respond

"Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news." _Horrible news, actually. I wouldn't be happy to hear this._ But Zuko isn't her. And she's offering him what _he_ wants. _A return to the golden cage._ She doesn't understand _why_ he would want that, but right now, she doesn't actually care. She has _far_ more important things to worry about.

_If Father finds out, it'll make your Agni Kai look like a walk in the park._

"I'm not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way." _But I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to._

* * *

"Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!" Azula's eyes widen in feigned surprise at the captain's words.

_Game, set, match._

But Zuko, fool that he is, doesn't do the _smart_ thing. Instead of fleeing, he _charges_.

 _Zuzu, you absolute_ idiot _. I give you the_ perfect _escape, and you throw it away._ She holds back a sigh.

With little other choice, she humors him.

"Why would he want _you_ back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?" _Get out of here, dumb-dumb!_

She's not _really_ going to strike him, but Iroh doesn't realize that.

 _For such a famed general, you'd think he'd be smarter than that_ , she thinks as she climbs out of the water.

* * *

"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord! There will be no place left to hide!"

 _Except among any rebels who despise the Fire Nation._ The enemy of my enemy is my ally, right?

She's set her pieces slowly, carefully, methodically. A few more days, and she'll be ready for the next step.

_It's time for a class reunion._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue from the show quoted from Season 2, Episode 1: "The Avatar State."  
> (Copied from <https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Transcript:The_Avatar_State>.)


	2. A Penny for the Old Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula gathers her allies and takes her first stand. Her plan is going _perfectly_.
> 
> ......And apparently the Avatar's here too! Wonderful, it looks like things are actually ahead of schedule!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear, a lot of the dialogue is directly quoted from the show.
> 
> TW: Mentions of mental instability and dissociation. (This is Azula, people. Just assume this whole fic is going to involve those.)
> 
> I actually wasn't going to update this until tomorrow, but I'm _really_ excited about this story, so you get a surprise update a day early!
> 
> Also, I made this into a series! There will _probably_ be around 3 "books", and book 1 (which will cover basically all of S2) is going to be around 6-10 chapters.

She's wanted to ditch this stupid procession from the beginning, but she's had to be _careful_ about it. The Fire Lord hasn't lived this long by _trusting_ people, even ( _especially_ ) his family. She knows they're _meant_ to be keeping an eye on her just as much as they're supposed to be helping her capture her brother and uncle.

So far, they're failing at both tasks.

But Azula is patient. So she waits carefully, watching and listening for the right moment. It comes, one day, after _days_ of no news about the so-called _traitors_. Her advisors suggest that the soldiers are slowing her down.

"You're right," she says, as if this is the first time she's thought of this. "The Royal Procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends."

  


* * *

  


Ty Lee is many things. Flighty, quick, and agile, yes. But not stupid. Azula has always known this.

So when Ty Lee rejects her _gracious_ request, Azula has to stop and consider why. _Why_ is the chi-blocker so determined to _stay_ in this ridiculous dump of a circus?

 _Because it's_ safe _._ Ty Lee may be strong, and smart, and talented, but at the end of the day, she's only one girl. One girl with a rare ability both feared and desired. There will always be people after her, either to use her or imprison her, and the light-hearted girl has no desire for either. A traveling circus is the perfect place to hide.

 _Ty Lee doesn't want to risk becoming Father's tool._ Azula is different-- she's _always_ been a tool, and she's done her best to use that to her advantage. But Mai and Ty Lee are _hers_. She _won't_ give them to Father.

_Now, how can I convince Ty Lee of that?_

  


* * *

  


A net can be a source of safety, but far more often, it's a trap.

Wild animals are meant to _stay_ wild, not be chained up.

  


_I'll burn away any traps, and I won't let anyone chain you down,_

  


Ty Lee has never been stupid.

  


* * *

  


Mai proves much easier to convince.

She and Azula are not so different. Both have been trapped in their roles, forced to play parts they never wanted. But while Azula has learned to use her role, working from behind the scenes to manipulate others the way they've tried to manipulate her, Mai has curled up like a turtleduck, shutting off all emotion until she appears to be made of stone.

But she's dying inside.

"Please tell me you're here to kill me," she says when she sees Ty Lee and Azula, and though she tries to laugh it off, Azula's put up enough fake smiles herself to recognize the truth: that some part of the older girl _means_ it.

Azula doesn't _care_ about Mai and Ty Lee, not in the way she understands _normal_ people care about their friends. She's always known there's something _broken_ inside of her, cutting off her ability to _feel_ things the way normal people do. (That's a _good_ thing in her world, she's come to realize-- if there's no one she _cares_ about, there's no one who can be used _against_ her.)

But she's _possessive_ of them. They're _hers_. No one else is allowed to hurt them-- even themselves.

She remembers what Mai's _real_ smile looks like. A genuine, beautiful thing.

She decides then and there that ( _if it fits i_ _nto the plan_ ) she'll find a way to make Mai smile again.

  


* * *

  


Azula makes it her business to never walk into a situation without having as much information as possible. So she knows how _all_ of the citizens of Omashu ( _New Ozai, to placate Father for ditching his guard dogs_ ) just walked _right out of the city_. Along with Mai's baby brother. She's heard a _rumor_ that the _Avatar_ is with them.

_Intriguing._

She hadn't been expecting to run into him _quite_ so soon, but if he and his allies are involved in this mess, more fool them.

  


* * *

  


The old king is kookier than her uncle, and that's saying something.

He's giggling. The man is locked in a metal _coffin_ hanging from a crane and he's smiling like a five-year-old at a tea party.

_I wonder if the Earth King in Ba Sing Se is this nuts?_  


_  
_

The Avatar is an actual _child_. She'd known that already, but somehow, seeing him in person like this, is when it really sinks in. _He's younger than Zuko was when...._  


She pushes the thought aside.

He's wearing a _ridiculous_ turban to cover his tattoos, but he hasn't bothered changing into more traditional _Earth Kingdom_ clothing, not to mention his Water Tribe companions who look _exactly_ as described. It's _obviously_ him.

"You brought my brother?" Mai asks.

"He's here," The Avatar says. "We're ready to trade."

An idea has been brewing ever since she realized Mai's baby brother was in the hands of the Avatar, who just so happens to be an _Air Nomad_. Azula's studied up on the lost nation, and she's learnt some _very_ interesting things about their culture.

The Air Nomads operated on the principle that _all life is sacred_. They believed that _children are innocents_. An Air Nomad, especially a young one like this, would never _dream_ of kidnapping a _toddler_ , nor would he align himself with anyone who _would_. Which means.....

 _It must have been an_ accident. She's heard little children get into _everything_ , constantly running around and making trouble. And she can't imagine _Mai_ 's parents actually _paying attention_ to their offspring, especially when there's a crisis going on. Such as, _I don't know, the entire population coming down with a so-called "deadly disease?"_ The little nuisance probably got lost outside of the palace, and some unsuspecting citizen picked him up, likely assuming he was a child of one of the other refugees.  


But of course, Mai's _idiot parents_ didn't realize that.

"I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me," she says to Mai, "Do you mind?"

"Of course not, Princess Azula," Mai replies, deferring to her.

"We're trading a two year old for a king," Azula says, looking up at the old man. "A powerful, earthbending king?"

 _And the man just nods! Doesn't he have_ any _self-preservation instinct?_  


"It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?" Mai's parents may be idiots, but they should _at least_ be able to take care of a prisoner properly. Their _own children_ , on the other hand.......

Besides, again, _Air Nomad_. Odds are he'll do something _stupid_ like _sneaking the child back into the city_ after all of this is over, no handing over of the old king required.

And even if he doesn't, Tom-Tom would probably be better off with the rebels.

"You're right." Mai seems to understand. "The deal's off."

And that, of course, is when the stupid child _attacks_.

  


He looks so nervous when his hat flies off, she decides to indulge him.

"The Avatar," she says in feigned shock. If they think she's _really_ that stupid, they're all the more likely to grow cocky and underestimate her. Which is _good_.

_For now, at least._

  


She notices how, even in the midst of battle, the Water tribe siblings take extra care to make sure that the _child of their enemies_ remains unharmed, and she knows she made the right choice.

  


After _all that_ , the Avatar didn't even bother to take the king _with_ him when he left.

 _Perhaps the old man doesn't_ want _to leave._ She laughs at the thought. _What a ridiculous idea._  


_  
_

* * *

  


"So, we're tracking down your brother and uncle, huh?" Mai asks as they leave the city.

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again," Ty Lee teases, "Won't it, Mai?"

 _Now_ that _is a real Mai smile._  


"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore," Azula says, as though she hadn't been planning this the _entire_ time. "We have a third target now."

  


* * *

  


Reports from Om- _New Ozai_ reach them a few days later. Tom-Tom _miraculously reappeared_ just a short while after they left.

_Of course he did._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue from the show quoted from Season 2, Episode 3: "Return to Omashu."  
> (Copied from <https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Transcript:Return_to_Omashu>.)
> 
> I had a little bit of trouble when I started writing this chapter-- specifically, the scenes with Azula and Ty Lee. Even when I watched the show, those scenes confused me. What was even going on there? Was Azula _threatening_ Ty Lee? But if that was the case, why would Ty Lee just..... go along with it, especially just by spouting some _utter_ nonsense about "strong hints from the universe?" And even if it was a threat, it seems like a _really_ strange one, especially considering my headcanon that a) Ty Lee is actually really smart, and, b) Azula _knows_ this.  
> So I started thinking. And I realized that, considering the lack of any other chi-blockers in the story (at least in the original series) Ty Lee's skills are probably _super_ -rare. She may claim that she only left home because she didn't want to be part of a matched set or whatever, but, like I said, Ty Lee is _really_ smart. She _must_ realize there'll be people after her-- either to take advantage of her skills, or to lock her up so she can't hurt them. The circus is the _perfect_ place to get away from all that. (Which is also why she joined the Kyoshi warriors at the end-- whatever she said about "not being part of a matched set," her _real_ concern was being safe.) (But seriously, the show _totally_ missed out by not developing this side of Ty Lee's character and/or exploring what chi-bending means in terms of world-building-- shout out to [Vathara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vathara), who's _iconic_ Zuko-centric fic [Embers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3591783) makes Ty Lee and her family part of the chi-blocking _onmitsu_ , the Fire Lord's _personal_ assassins (among other things).) (You should go read that next-- just make sure you have _a lot_ of time, because that thing is like _seven hundred thousand_ words long.)  
> With this knowledge in mind, I went over the episode transcript to review _exactly_ what happens what Azula comes to recruit Ty Lee. Ty Lee, who's afraid of captivity says "I've found my calling," and what does Azula do?  
> She burns a _net_ and releases a bunch of _captured animals_.  
> And my brain went _ding!_
> 
> Next up, it's " _Azula_ Alone" time! (Well, not really, but we will have lots of flashbacks and get some insight into her _brilliant_ plans.) Be prepared for some serious _feels_.


	3. I Dare Not Meet In Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These days, Azula's just _so_ tired. _All the time._
> 
> ......Hmm, wonder how the Avatar would function under exahaustion. Let's try it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have not yet read the prequel ( _Between the Desire and the Spasm_ ) I sincerely recommend you read that before going any further.

These days, Azula tires easily. She finds herself making excuses to go to bed earlier and earlier. While it's just her, Mai, and Ty Lee, it's not much of an issue. (Mai doesn't really care, and Ty Lee is quirky enough that she doesn't find it particularly unusual.) Unfortunately, the next phase of her plan involves working _with_ some of the Fire Nation forces stationed here in the Earth Kingdom, and she can't risk showing weakness around _them_.

 _Ugh_ , she thinks, one day, as she practices her lightning-bending, _I can't fight like this._

That's when it hits her.

_If I, with all my prodigious talent and skill, have trouble fighting sleep-deprived, so would the Avatar and his friends!_

* * *

They've been tracking the ragtag group from afar, making sure not to be noticed. Azula assumes the kid is looking for an Earthbending teacher, and she wants to wait until then.

One day, the three of them slip into their Earth Kingdom disguises to pick up supplies from the city of Gaoling. She knows the Avatar passed through yesterday, and she decides to listen for any rumors about what he did while he was here. But the marketplace seems concerned with only one topic.

"Did you hear _-_ "

"The Beifongs'-"

"-daughter, yes-"

"I didn't even know they _had_ any children, let alone-"

"-an Earthbender, really? Why would they hide-"

"-something like that?"

"She's not-"

"-normal, I heard. You know-"

"The Blind Bandit? _Really_?"

"They say she's-"

"It was the _Avatar_ , I hear."

It takes nearly half an hour, but Azula eventually manages to piece together the story. Apparently the Avatar strolled into town, beat some people up, and kidnapped the heretofore unheard of _blind_ daughter of the wealthiest people around-- who, was, apparently, an Earthbender.

 _Really? A blind little girl?_ But Azula knows better than to underestimate her opponents. Considering his _first_ candidate for an Earthbending master was Bumi, who's considered the most powerful Earthbender in the entire kingdom, this girl he's chosen instead must be _something_ to behold. Mutterings about _Earth Rumbles_ and the _Blind Bandit_ confirm her suspicions.

 _it's time._ She sends a quick letter to the local commander in charge of this region, informing she needs to _borrow_ some of their new tanks, as well as a few mongoose-lizards.

"Ladies," she tells Mai and Ty Lee once the requested supplies and reinforcements appear. "We need to get some sleep. _Now_."

"But Azula, it's barely noon!"

"I am _aware_ of that, Ty Lee," Azula replies. "But tonight we're going to be confronting the Avatar. He will be sleep-deprived and exhausted, but we must _not_ be. Which means we need to sleep _now_."

"Whatever," Mai says, and goes to lie down. Ty Lee frowns for a moment, then hops off to bed. Azula is relieved when she finally gets to close her eyes.

_Agni, but I'm tired._

* * *

Finding them is _ridiculously easy_. She does recall reading about how certain animals shed their fur in the springtime, although she's never seen it herself. (Nobody brings _pets_ into the palace, not if they value them.) She hadn't realized _flying bison_ were included.

The Avatar's little group seems to be able to sense and evade them from pretty far away, though. Azula suspects that the earthbender might be able to feel them coming. (She makes a mental note to make time to observe some practical earthbending at some point-- she's read up on the subject, of course, but she knows that theory and practice can be _very_ different.)

"Ah, they've stopped," she says, looking down from her spyglass. "Ladies, let's go." The three of them hop onto their mongoose-lizards and head out to the field.

The earthbender is impressive, she'll give them that. Azula doesn't think _regular_ earthbenders can raise such huge walls so quickly.

But earth is primarily defensive. Lightning-- _fire_ \-- is not.

Now that the Avatar has seen just _who_ is after him, he seems to realize he's outmatched. The bison flies away.

When Azula reaches the river, she starts looking around, ignoring Mai and Ty Lee's nonsensical muttering.

_If they took a break from running to wash their mount, they must have realized it's been leading us right to them._

_So why is there still a trail?_

In front of her, a trail of _sopping_ fur, clearly dropped from the air. In the other direction, broken treetops have clearly been knocked by something _heavy_.

_The airbender flew one way, and sent the bison and his companions in another._

"The Avatar's trying to give us the slip," she tells the girls. They should be able to handle two benders and.... whatever the Water Tribe boy brings to the table. "You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison. I'll follow this trail."

Of all the things she expects when she finally confronts the Avatar, having him ask who she _is_ was not one of them.

 _Mai called me 'Princess Azula' right in front of him. How dense_ is _he?_

"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint," she tells the boy, covering her eye and doing her best Zuzu impression. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor! It's okay, you can laugh. It's funny."

The Avatar doesn't appear to be amused. He just looks _tired_.

(Azula may have gotten plenty of sleep, but she's still been up for most of a night and day. She's starting to feel it.)

"So what now?" What does he _think_?

"Now? Now, it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go." She wonders if he'll take the bait. It'll make everything so much _easier_ if he does. "You can run, but I'll catch you."

"I'm not running," the airbender says, facing her, head-on.

She smirks.

_Perfect._

"Do you really want to fight me?" Before he can respond, another figure jumps off an ostrich-horse directly in front of him.

"Yes, I really do."

She's actually rather surprised. She hadn't expected her brother to show up _quite_ so soon. Then again, she _did_ leave a rather visible trail.

Azula doesn't let any of that show on her face, though.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu." She hears the Avatar giggle. So he really _does_ have a sense of humor.

( _I guess those old scrolls were right._ )

Apparently, her brother's not here for _her_. He's still after the Avatar.

 _That utter_ fool _! Does he really think capturing the child will help him_ now _? He's no longer an exile, he's a traitor. The rules have changed._

Zuzu never did know how to adapt.

As his eyes flicker from her to the airbender, trying to decide who's the greater threat, she takes in his appearance.

_Short hair, peasant clothes, riding an ostrich-horse....._

At least he's not _completely_ stupid.

Her lips move from a smirk to a full-on _smile_ , and his eyes widen.

_Got you._

Azula shoots flames, and it quickly devolves into a two-on-one battle.

The Avatar's good. She'd figured that out in Om-- _New Ozai_. He knows how to claim the tactical advantage. That trick with the missing floor? If she wasn't so quick on her feet, she'd have fallen.

(Which is _not_ okay. She'd been able to walk off falling off the side of her ship, but she's not so sure how her body would handle landing on a hard floor, two stories up, with zero preparation. A little blood or a broken bone would be the _least_ of her worries.)

Finally, she manages to knock Zuko down and corner the younger boy, when she feels a rope of water wrap around her wrist.

_The waterbender._

When Azula runs outside, she also encounters the Water Tribe boy. Which means.....

 _Ty Lee? Mai? If you've let these imbeciles kill you, I'm going to find a way to bring you back just so I can kill you_ myself _._

The three of them surround her.

 _Wait,_ three _? Where's_ -

She feels the ground sliding beneath her just in time to drop to all fours.

- _the earthbender._

Azula runs off, smirking, only to run into-

_Well, well, there you are, old man._

And now they have her backed into a corner. She's no fool. Six on one? Five of whom are benders, and one of whom is a warrior who's skills she hasn't yet been able to analyze?

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done," she raises her hands in surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

She eyes them, looking for an out. Which is how she notices Iroh's gaze darting between the earthbender and the other three.

 _He knows her. And he's...._ surprised _?_

An interesting question to ponder on another time. For now, she sees her opening.

While the old man is distracted, she shoots a quick bolt of lightning.

Not enough to kill, no. Just enough to knock him out for a while. Enough for her to escape.

The four benders left standing attack in unison, while the nonbender throws his weapon.

( _Is that a boomerang? A long-range fighter, then._ )

She raises a quick wall of flame, causing a minor explosion.

By the time the smoke clears, she's long gone.

* * *

Eventually, Azula manages to reunite with Mai and Ty Lee, and the three of them go down for a _long_ nap.

_All in all, it didn't go too badly._

After all she wasn't trying to _capture_ the Avatar. (Not yet, at least.) She just wanted to scare him a little. Make him realize that not only was she powerful, but also _determined_.

Now the boy knows that she's a dangerous enemy who'll follow him _anywhere_.

Which means he'll be looking for somewhere _safe_.

_And where's the safest place in the world to hide from the Fire Nation?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lightning/Electricity101: No matter how high the voltage, it's basically harmless if the amperage isn't high enough.  
> Think about it-- when Azula shot lightning at Aang in the finale, it basically killed him, yet somehow Iroh, who's significanly older, is up and walking around in the very next episode, without a water healer, let alone spirit water? _Obviously_ she was going easy on him.  
> (Iroh: "She's crazy, and she needs to go down." Wow, way to repay her for _not_ killing you when she had a chance, dude.)
> 
> Allow me to explain a little more about how (this version of) Azula works. Whatever fanfiction may claim, other than that lightning strike at the end of season two, there are exactly _zero_ canonical instances of Azula actually killing anyone. She takes on Aang and co in a deserted ghost town, she has Ty Lee _take out_ the Terra Team, _all_ of the Kyoshi warriors are alive at the end of the series, and she takes Ba Sing Se _bloodlessly_. (Not to mention that, as I said above, she clearly didn't want Iroh _dead_.)  
> Clearly, Azula avoids killing. However (as evidenced by her lack of hesitation when striking Aang), this doesn't seem to stem from any _moral_ quandries. So what's the issue?  
> If you've read the prequel (and if you haven't, go do that now), you know that, according to the moral compass she was raised with, Azula _does not believe lying is wrong_. Which explains why her heart rate doesn't change-- there's no guilt there. So it's not much of a stretch to assume that she should feel the same way about, ya know, killing: to be used when it serves her purposes. Except......  
> Azula (again, as portrayed in this series) has been playing the long game since she was _at least_ six. Possibly even longer. Her _primary_ goal is very, _very_ simple: survival. The vast majority of her actions and decisions since then (I'd estimate at least 60-75%, but possibly even as high as 90%) have been focused on that. Her opponent? Ozai, who hasn't _quite_ figured out the game. Azula is _smart_. She knows that once someone is dead, that's _it_. Better to leave all the pieces on the board, in case she can find a use for them later. After all, you never know who might be useful when your chips are down and the cards have been stacked against you. (She still thinks she might be able to recruit Zuko to her side, no use antagonizing him more than she needs to. And it isn't like _Uncle_ is going to start working with _Ozai_. (Presumably. You can never be too careful.))  
> In short, Azula, master of [Xanatos Speed Chess](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosSpeedChess), is aware that actions have consequences, so she tries to avoid any that might be...... _permanent_.  
> (Though the Law of Unintended Consequences has recently hit her over the head with a _big one_...... but we'll get to that another time.)
> 
> (Another thing about _canon_ Azula that fanfic writers tend to misunderstand? She does _not_ underestimate other kinds of benders-- or even _non_ benders. Her two most trusted allies can't bend, and she brings home pet earthbenders she suspects might be useful.)
> 
> BTW, Azula is probably going to spend the rest of this book lowkey sleep-deprived, but she's tough enough to handle it 
> 
> Next up: Azula and the Drill.

**Author's Note:**

> This one's for Caelum, because I _adore_ [Sandstone](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25235272).
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](https://ljf613.tumblr.com/)!


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